Topan POV
"Everything's clear, right? Esther, you're going to the southern factory tomorrow. Fix the issue before it spreads any further. And I need your report as soon as possible."
Esther Mayang—my manager of seven years—only nodded. The thirty-five-year-old woman with glasses was reliable enough to handle the workers' strike in one of my branch factories.
I loosened my tie a little and closed my laptop as people started leaving the meeting room one by one.
Tring!
Huh?
I reached for my phone. My mother's name flashed on the screen, making my brows knit instantly.
"Hello, Mother—?"
"Topan, find Dewi right now! Hurry! She's emotional!"
My brow furrowed even deeper at the panic in her voice. Dewi? Why?
"What happened—"
"Just find her! I'm still looking too! Call me if you find her!" Tut!Click!
She hung up on me before I could finish. I exhaled slowly, checking the time. Almost six in the evening.
"…I think I know where she is," I muttered.
I stood up, slipped off my suit jacket, and headed out.
"Arya, I'll drive myself. Go home and tell my mother to stop searching. I'll call once I'm back."
He nodded, and I got into the car. Rolled up my sleeves, started the engine, and first swung by a café to grab Dewi's favorite drink: Super Creamy Chocolate Milkshake.
---
A little later...
The wind was getting colder as I parked at Florentia Park. Yeah. This is always her hiding place.
One of the guards greeted me; I nodded and walked past him.
I knew exactly where she'd be. Dewi has always been good at disappearing, and I've known her habits since we were kids.
Drap… drap…
There.
I stopped in my tracks.
She sat alone on the grass, staring blankly at the field of blooming tulips. Her new hair made her look different… softer. But her eyes looked distant. She suddenly clutched her shirt over her chest.
I bit the inside of my cheek. She was holding everything in.
"You don't have to hold it in. Just cry."
I said flatly. I meant to sound gentler but… yeah, it came out like that.
She startled, eyes glassy, clearly fighting back tears.
I walked closer and handed her the drink.
"Here. Drink it."
She took it quietly. "Thank you…"
I sighed and sat beside her. She only sipped once before staring blankly ahead again.
Something in me just moved on its own—I cupped the back of her head and pulled her into my arms.
"Don't do that again. You really worried me…"
Her body tensed at first, but I didn't let go. I rubbed her soft hair, holding her firmly.
Hiks…
That tiny sob—yeah, this wasn't something small.
"Sshh… it's okay. You can cry. I'm here."
I'm terrible at comforting people with words. But I know she needed this. Maybe my arms could give her at least a little safety.
One by one, the garden lights turned on. The wind grew colder, and I tightened my hold around her.
Topan POV END
●●●●
A few days later…
Ting!
Click
Topan opened the apartment door. Merry's expressionless face appeared—though her eyes were clearly full of worry.
"My sister?" she asked impatiently.
He didn't answer; he simply stepped aside so she could enter.
"Her room's across from the kitchen," he said as Merry rushed off.
Tok! Tok! Tok!
"Sis? Sister? It's me, Merry… please open the door…"
Silence.
She had just come back from her internship and only recently heard the full story from Topan's mother.
"She hasn't come out for days. I'm out of ideas."
Merry turned toward the flat voice—Topan was standing not far from her.
She scoffed tiredly and walked up to him.
"You're her husband, right? I know you don't love my sister, but why did you let her stay locked away like this? What if something happened to her?!"
She put her hands on her hips, glaring up at him.
Topan let out a sharp breath. Her words actually hit a nerve. He hadn't even gone to work for days because he was worried sick.
"You think I'm not worried? I don't even know what else to do. Your sister won't open the door!"
"You—"
Cklek
Both of them turned instantly.
Dewi stepped out wearing a knee-length Winnie the Pooh nightdress. Her face blank, eyes dull and swollen.
"You're here? What do you want to eat? I'll cook for you," she muttered as she walked to the kitchen.
Merry rushed after her, almost crying at how fragile her sister looked.
Hug
"Sis… hiks… I'm sorry… I wasn't there for you… hiks… Mom and Dad, they—"
Tap
Dewi's hand froze on the fridge handle as Merry hugged her shoulders.
"Don't. Don't talk about them," she said coldly. Her grip on the handle tightened.
Merry bit her lip, regretting what she said. Her sister was already broken—she shouldn't have touched that topic.
"O-okay… ah—Sis, I just got back from Jianju. Could you make chicken soup? It's freezing there, hehe…"
Merry buried her face in Dewi's shoulder—her old habit when she wanted something. Even though they share different mothers, Dewi and her mom had always treated her with warmth.
"Alright… go sit in the living room. I'll cook."
"I can help, Sis!"
Dewi shook her head quickly.
She knew Merry—lighting a stove could already end in an explosion.
"No. Just keep Topan company."
Reluctantly, Merry nodded.
---
Skip to the living room…
Merry's POV
I walked to the living room where the TV was on. My brother-in-law was sitting there, watching the news with that usual serious face. I sat on the sofa across from him.
"Is Dewi okay?"
Huh?! So Mister Ice Cube finally speaks.
"Yeah…" I muttered, eyes locked on the TV.
Silence. No reply.
I kept glancing at Topan, then back at the screen. Ugh, I might as well ask…
"Why? Something you wanna ask?"
I jolted at his flat voice. Okay, he caught me staring. Embarrassing. But whatever.
I looked toward the kitchen—Dewi was still cooking.
"Uh… don't you have a girlfriend? The model, right? I forgot her name. But media caught you two together once, didn't they?"
Topan visibly tensed. He stayed quiet for too long, and it annoyed me.
"I mean, Medley Info posted it. It looked like you… or was I wrong?"
"No, it was me. But that was a long time ago. We broke up two years ago," he said, cold as usual.
I just muttered an "oh," though judging from his reaction… that breakup didn't end well.
"I don't care if you had someone before, but listen. You're my sister's husband. If you ever hurt her, I swear I'll take her far away from you. She's suffered enough all her life—don't add to it."
"Suffered? Why?"
I paused. My hands tightened on my lap as old memories surfaced.
"Since we were kids… I never once saw her cry. When I first met her, I was scared she wouldn't accept me, but she welcomed me. Played with me. She even gave me her favorite teddy bear…"
My chest tightened. Until today, I always blamed myself… blamed my existence in the family.
"If only I never existed…" I whispered.
"Dewi loves you. She loves her whole family. If she heard you say that, she'd be devastated."
I turned to him, eyes wide. He looked calm, but I knew he wasn't lying.
"Sis… Dewi… hikss…"
I couldn't stop the tears. I don't know why, but… somehow, I felt like this man might actually protect her.
"Don't… hurt my sister…" I whispered.
"I won't."
That short answer… weirdly eased my heart.
"Mer? Dinner's ready! Ask Topan to eat too!"
I quickly wiped my tears. "Okay!"
I shot Topan a warning glare. "If you ever hurt her, I'll take her away from you myself! Remember that!" I barked before stomping toward the dining table.
My stomach growled loudly at the smell of Dewi's cooking. Totally worth it.
Merry's POV END
-----
9:25 p.m.
It had been almost thirty minutes since Merry went home. She couldn't stay over, and her phone had been ringing nonstop anyway—calls from Mira and Andri, one after another.
The luxurious apartment fell quiet again. Neither Dewi nor Topan said anything as they sat in the living room.
"I… I'll go to my room first."
Dewi's voice sounded awkward. She knew she'd shut herself in for days, ignoring even Topan's voice when he asked her to come out. The guilt was starting to creep in.
Tap… tap!
"Wait."
A hand gently caught her wrist. Dewi turned, startled, facing the man who grabbed her—her husband.
Topan stared at her with his usual blank expression, making her even more uneasy.
"What is i—"
"Let's go out for a walk."
Dewi's jaw literally dropped. At this hour? And it was freezing—December was approaching—yet this man suddenly wanted to take a walk?
"I think there's a Saru performance across the street."
Dewi frowned, confused, but she ended up following anyway as Topan's large hand wrapped around hers.
They walked side by side, and surprisingly, he didn't let go.
As soon as they stepped out of the building lobby, the cold wind slapped Dewi straight in the face, making her shiver.
Great. She should've worn a jacket or sweater earlier.
"S-so cold! You're really going to watch Saru now? Eh—"
She stopped when something heavy fell on her shoulders.
A big sweater.
She turned and saw Topan standing there in only a grey t-shirt now.
"Hey—"
"Put it on. The air's freezing. You'll get sick," he said firmly.
"But what about you? Should we go back and grab your jacket?" Dewi asked while fixing the sweater over her body. It drowned her completely, and the scent of his cologne wrapped around her too.
"You're good now? Let's go."
Dewi could only follow as he held her hand again, leading them out toward the small street performance area.
Soon, they arrived—Mahmud's monkey show.
Mahmud was a monkey lover who rescued abandoned monkeys and trained them to perform around the city.
When Dewi and Topan got there, the show was already in full swing. The star performer, Saru—the smallest of the monkeys—was in the middle of his act.
"Saru, let's go grocery shopping!" Mahmud said while tapping his little drum.
Saru immediately grabbed the shopping bag, put on his signature sunglasses, hopped onto a tiny bike, and pedaled around the crowd. People laughed and snapped photos.
"Hehee… so cute…" Dewi mumbled, smiling for the first time in days.
Seeing his wife that excited, Topan did something completely unexpected.
He stepped right into the performance area.
Dewi's eyes widened. What is he doing?!
He talked to Mahmud for a moment; Mahmud nodded several times. Then, Topan walked toward the bicycle and climbed onto it.
"Saru, hop on!"
The monkey immediately jumped onto Topan's back, a little red rose tucked behind his ear.
"Tonight, I want to make my wife smile. So Saru… let's sing together!"
Saru clapped excitedly. The bike spun around the crowd as music blared. People cheered loudly—who wouldn't? A cold, expressionless CEO doing something like this in public?
Ckitt!
The bike finally stopped right in front of Dewi. The music faded. Everyone fell silent.
Topan held out the red rose, looking awkward and nervous.
"Dewi… I hope this makes you smile. Even just a little."
Dewi stared at him—stunned. Her usually-cold husband… doing something this ridiculous?
And then—
Pfft...
She burst into laughter. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes as she wiped them away and accepted the rose.
"Thank you."
Cup!
Dewi leaned in, tiptoed slightly, and planted a quick kiss on his cheek, smiling brightly.
"I had so much fun tonight, hehee…"
The crowd exploded in cheers. Some even took photos.
And Topan?
Let's just say—Saru was screaming happily on his back, jumping like crazy, and the CEO didn't even notice. Because his cold face was now completely red.
TO BE CONTINUED…